If the Pieces Fit
by waterpulse
Summary: #11 - Birthday: "Maybe in Japan," Yongha replies, a predatory gleam in his eyes, "but here, you've been 'old enough' for four years."


**Hikaru no Go | If the Pieces Fit | Yongha/Shindou**  
_#11 - Birthday: "Maybe in Japan," Yongha replies, a predatory gleam in his eyes, "but here, you've been 'old enough' for four years."_

**#01 - Walking**

Hikaru doesn't know when or how it happened, only that after the first Hokuto Cup, his assumed path suddenly veered irrevocably off-course.

**#02 - Waltz**

"Why are you teaching me the _girl_ part?"

**#03 - Wishes**

"I want to be important to you," Yongha says in carefully rehearsed Japanese, "the way Shuusaku is important to you."

**#04 - Wonder**

Sometimes, Shindou's focus lingers on mundane things like rice cookers or radio towers or neon store signs; Yongha snorts and tells Shindou he's being a moron, but nevertheless finds himself compelled to wait until Shindou is ready to move on.

**#05 - Worry**

He has never had a rival before, or even desired for one; so when Shindou Hikaru enters his life, for the first time, Yongha is presented with the distressing notion that there are factors in his Go career that he may never conquer.

**#06 - Whimsy**

Yongha is surprisingly touchy-feely with those he is intimate with; Shindou is reminded, both comfortably and uncomfortably at the same time, of another big 'puppy dog' as Yongha wraps his arms around Shindou's neck and drags him into a full-body hug.

**#07 - Waste/Wasteland**

"You just _let_ this cluster die," Shindou says sharply, stabbing at the air over the aforementioned cluster with his fan; "What's wrong with you?"

**#08 - Whiskey and rum**

"_Modicum_, that's a funny word," Shindou giggles, and Yongha vacillates between laughing or nudging the drunken boy (accidentally, of course) into the wishing well (which was more like a wishing fountain) and feign innocence when confronted.

**#09 - War**

"It's only two years," Yongha says with a deceptively nonchalant shrug, "who knows, maybe that'll be enough time for you to finally catch up to my level of play."

**#10 - Weddings**

"I'm going," Shindou interrupts resolutely, "she's an old friend, _don't_ make something out of nothing."

**#11 - Birthday**

"Maybe in Japan," Yongha replies, a predatory gleam in his eyes, "but here, you've been 'old enough' for four years."

**#12 - Blessing**

His mother disapproves, but she knows her son will continue to do what he wants without thinking of the consequences, because that's how it's been all his life.

**#13 - Bias**

"Of course you're going to win a title before I do," Yongha says patiently, "Japanese players are not as competitive as Korean players."

**#14 - Burning**

"Don't laugh," Shindou hisses at him, throat scratchy, eyes watery, and hand gripping the shot glass so hard he thought it was going to shatter.

**#15 - Breathing**

"It smells...spicy." Hikaru says diplomatically as he pokes tentatively at the kimchi-flavored ramen.

**#16 - Breaking**

"I am not Touya Akira," Yongha says icily, "and if you came here looking for a Touya Akira who has the backbone to admit his feelings, then pack your bags, go back to Japan, and keep dreaming."

**#17 - Belief**

"Never pegged you to be the superstitious type," Shindou says as Yongha rolls up the clippers promptly before midnight, half his right fingernails still uncut.

**#18 - Balloon**

Yongha always tries to poke fun at Shindou's mistakes to an unnecessary extent, because nothing is quite as adorable as Shindou's cheeks puffing out in indignation.

**#19 - Balcony**

"Ha! I knew there was something wrong with you...you (_ah_) exhibitionist."

**#20 - Bane**

"Stop staring," Yongha says through gritted teeth as Shindou stares, jaw slack; "That's my _mother_."

**#21 - Quiet**

As a result of the language barrier, their arguments are usually spelled out on a starry sky with black and white stars.

**#22 - Quirks**

When it's not his turn, Yongha looks at him instead of the goban; Hikaru doesn't know if he does it to piss him off or if there's another reason...

**#23 - Question**

"You, yourself are so wrapped up in your own mystery, how can you expect for us to not get caught up in it?"

**#24 - Quarrel**

When Shindou finally loses his temper over a Go board, rather than respond in kind, Yongha's lips curve into a smirk and he mentally declares victory against the son of Touya-sensei.

**#25 - Quitting**

"I tried to break up with him once," Shindou says, almost sullenly, "I really tried--it didn't work."

**#26 - Jump**

"I…I think I'm falling for you too."

**#27 - Jester**

"…because it amuses me, so keep it as it is," Yongha orders, pulling on the ends of Hikaru's bangs.

**#28 - Jousting**

"You've already said that--once again, my eloquence trumps yours; I really thought you'd be better at swearing, Shindou."

**#29 - Jewel**

"What's that supposed to mean," Shindou bellows, "are you saying that I play Go like I'm blind?!"

**#30 - Just**

Go was the one thing they both respected enough to always play fairly at; everything else was game.

**#31 - Smirk**

"If I didn't know any better," Hikaru says with narrowed eyes as Suyon latches onto his arm and began pulling him toward the nearest salon, "I'd say you were enjoying this."

**#32 - Sorrow**

"I-I had a friend once who walked away without saying goodbye," Shindou babbles as he swipes his face with his sleeve, "I really, _really_ don't want it to happen again, not with you."

**#33 - Stupidity**

It takes Shindou a full month to suspect that Yongha's words don't pertain to Go and another three weeks (and full body contact against a cold stone wall and maybe a hand down the pants) to realize that Yongha wants to do some seriously naughty things to him.

**#34 - Serenade**

Hikaru finds the Korean language to be harsh on his ears, like spitting; yet it is only Yongha, armed with this mysterious tongue, who can make his heart jump out of his chest just by opening his mouth and saying his name.

**#35 - Sarcasm**

"Yes, Ko Yongha, you arrogant prick, I will let you spank me if I lose."

**#36 - Sordid**

"No, I also topped the night we played that one game where you lost by three moku," Shindou corrects, remembering a second too late that Waya and Isumi were still in the room.

**#37 - Soliloquy**

"Maybe, maybe I like you for more than your Go," he says haltingly, and Shindou's mouth drops open in astonishment.

**#38 - Sojourn**

"Suyon and I share a dorm," Yongha replies before he smirks in a totally not-innocent way; "So how long are you here for?"

**#39 - Share**

"No, don't look at him," Yongha says as he takes Hikaru by the chin and tugs back the focus of its owner; "_I_ am your rival now."

**#40 - Solitary**

"If the God of Go is always watching," Shindou pants as the stones dig into his back, "then the God of Go is a pervert."

**#41 - Nowhere**

"The flight's delayed until the storm passes," Yongha says, "now nigiri."

**#42 - Neutral**

"Yes, we're all 'Eternal Rivals' and we all hate each other," Hikaru snaps; "Give it a rest already."

**#43 - Nuance**

"Oh my god, Yongha..._OH_ my _GOD_, _Yongha_!!"

**#44 - Near**

Instead of yelping or squirming as Shindou had hoped, Yongha grabs the offending hand by the wrist and pulls him close, eyes full of promising intent.

**#45 - Natural**

"Is your hair really that color?" Shindou runs his fingers through strands of red; "C'mon, you can tell me."

**#46 - Horizon**

Yongha thinks the sunrise in Japan is nothing short of fantastic; the one looming on the other corner of the sky is pretty cool too.

**#47 - Valiant**

Nowadays, no matter how intense a match is, when he encounters a courageous, but foolhardy hand, his mind will automatically draw up an image of Shindou Hikaru.

**#48 - Virtuous**

"I'll give you a chance," Yongha says generously, leaning back against the door, "if you don't manage to leave within the next five seconds, that means I get to fuck you against the wall."

**#49 - Victory**

The second time around, the Japanese team is placed as it was supposed to be, the official reason being that Shindou-kun had already been given his chance the previous year; in the end, Japan beats Korea, but not by virtue of the first board.

**#50 - Defeat**

Yongha wonders when Shindou and the rest of the world will realize that the Hand of God does not exist, and that it is their futile, endless struggle to attain that perfection that makes their art beautiful.

[//]

**Annotations**  
#09 - War: The last I heard, South Korea still has mandatory military service.  
#17 - Belief: There's a Korean superstition that if you cut your toenails at midnight, you'll have bad luck.  
#29 - Jewel: The operative phrase is "eyes like emeralds"


End file.
